


By Torchlight

by Interupptingmoose218



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bleeding, Blood, Broken, Broken Bones, Crying, Death, Gore, M/M, SOLDIER - Freeform, Sad, Tears, Wounded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:43:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interupptingmoose218/pseuds/Interupptingmoose218
Summary: Erwin is mortally wounded during an expedition, forcing Levi to say goodbye to early.





	By Torchlight

Commander Erwin Smith lay on his back in the wagon along with the other wounded men. He was covered in blood but not all of it was his. The bloody stump on his right that used to be his arm was heavily bandaged thanks to Hanji Zoe, but the blood was still seeping through, soaking the blanket that he laid upon and pooling beside him. He was surrounded by crying, bleeding, moaning, and squirming soldiers. Many of them had soiled themselves, although too unconscious or out of it to notice or care. A man on Erwin's left was crying, screaming into the dark sky for his mother. The man on his right had died screaming and choking on his own blood.   
Erwin was asleep, his face tight in pain, his remaining arm lying neatly on his stomach, his left ankle was twisted in an unnatural angle, also pulsing blood onto the wooden boards, it had been so broken and shattered that when one shone a torch over it they would be able to see shockingly white fragments of bone. A man in the wagon with him began screaming but Erwin didn't wake.

Levi was riding slowly beside the wagon, holding his torch high above him. It was well into the night and the only light that the solemn procession could see by was the several torches held by soldiers dotted throughout their parade. The clouds had long ago moved over the moon, canceling both the Titan's movements and their light source. And, although Levi knew that it was near impossible to be attacked in this late hour his head swiveled as he double and triple checked their surroundings. 

The small Corporal directed his attention to his trusted Commander who was wincing in pain. Levi could see his chest rising and falling in rapid, ragged, pants as he struggled to breathe with 4 broken ribs. His normally perfectly groomed hair was uneven and disheveled, his normally pristine Military uniform was dirty and torn, the badge on his right shoulder all but gone save for a single white feather. 

"Levi," The Captain's head snapped around at the word, only to see that Hanji had ridden up next to him and was matching his pace almost perfectly. Levi slowly lowered the torch to better see his companion. His eyes widened, an expression rarely seen on the stoic Captain's face, at the look in Hanji's eyes. Her expression was telling Levi what her words could not. 

Erwin was dying. 

Levi lifted the torch once more, glancing at his Commander who was struggling to breath with his one ruined lung. He looked at Hanji who had their head facing foreward, clearly not seeing what was in front of them. He let go of his reins, resulting in a whinny from his horse, he didn't hear it as he handed them to a dazed Hanji and clambered off of his still moving stallion before jogging next to the slow moving wagon. Levi jumped and clambered onto it, the noise waking several soldiers and starting another wave of moans and groans. Levi ignored them as he knelt as best he could next to his Commander. Erwin didn't move, his breaths were loud and strenuous. Levi ignored the blood that he was kneeling in as he took his Commander's only remaining hand, holding it tightly. 

With a silent sigh as the Captain struggled to keep himself composed he reached down and brushed a blood crusted piece of blond hair out of Erwin's face. Levi then placed his other hand on the back of Erwin's, the older man's hand was much large than Levi's smaller ones but he held it tightly. Although it was weak, Levi could feel Erwin squeezing back as wave after wave of pain racked his ruined body. It was almost rhythmic, squeeze, release squeeze, release, Levi was staring at Erwin's hand, not really seeing it. Squeeze, release, squeeze, release. Levi was snapped back to the present when there was no more squeezing. The Captain didn't need to feel Erwin's wrist to know. 

When Levi looked down at Erwin's face he noticed that it had relaxed, no longer twisted in pain. Levi hiccuped as tears threatened to stream from his grey eyes. Levi squeezed the Commander's hand once more, hoping beyond anything that he would feel something in return. He gave up the struggle when he didn't receive a return squeeze, and allowed the warm tears to stain his cheeks. He gently layed Erwin's hand over his stomach and placed, one final gentle kiss on his Commander's forehead.


End file.
